June 2009
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Summer Associates
We Know Where the HLS 2L Worked This SummerEx-summer associate cites visa dispute.
This afternoon, we told you about a summer associate from Harvard Law School who has already been fired from his firm. After the story went up, the HLS 2L called Above the Law to “set the record straight.” He has a different version of what went on during his brief stay at McDermott, Will & […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 06.30.09
* The Cuban embargo has to be close to its end. I can’t wait to gamble gambol through Havana. [Transracial] * The Chairman of the Bar Council of India received a lot of criticism for disparaging lawyers who bill a lot of hours to “work like a clerk.” [Legally India] * Is Obama ready to […] - Sponsored
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Job Searches
UT Law Provides More Evidence That Rising 3Ls are in Trouble
Rising 3Ls at the University of Texas School of Law received a rather matter-of-fact message from their career services office: OCI Process Overview Employer registration closes July 1, 2009. The number of scheduled interview rooms is down overall from last year, with a drop of about 45 percent for employers seeking 3Ls. That’s not so […]
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Law School Deans, Law Schools
Farewell, Dean Sargent'Peanut Girl' dean resigns at Villanova.
One of our favorite law school deans is stepping down. Dean Mark A. Sargent — best known for L’Affaire Peanut Girl, and more recently gracing these pages after memorably quipping in a school-wide email that “The internet really is a type of hell!” — is departing as dean of Villanova Law. One student’s reaction to […] -
Politics
Breaking: Minnesota Supreme Court Orders Al Franken Certified
We’re getting very close to having 100 U.S. Senators. The AP reports: The Minnesota Supreme Court has ordered that Democrat Al Franken be certified as the winner of the state’s long-running Senate race. The state’s top court rejected a legal challenge from Republican Norm Coleman, whose options for regaining the Senate seat are dwindling. Minnesota […] -
Weil Gotshal Closes Its Austin Office
Since the recession hit the American economy with full force, Weil Gotshal has received some very high profile work. But it is not immune from the economic problems within the legal industry. The firm recently fired nearly 80 staffers, and in March the firm deferred some of its incoming first years until 2011. Today brings […] -
Gender, Nude Dancing, Sexism, Summer Associates
A Stripped-Down Summer Associate Event at Cadwalader
Summer associates have landed at offices across the nation. They’re working harder this year, even if some of the work is fake, and they’re eating out less often. But the Biglaw recruits are still having fun — sometimes too much fun. We’ve been asking you about the big events for this year’s summers — concerts, […] -
Summer Associates
We Know What You Did Harvard Summer(Or: A summer associate fired, and it's not even July.)
Man down! We’re not even into July, and it seems that one summer associate has already gotten himself fired. (We’re fairly sure it was a him, but please correct us if we’re wrong.) Generally SAs are terrified this summer, and therefore on their best behavior. But one fellow apparently didn’t get the memo. Interestingly enough, […] - Sponsored
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Biglaw, Incisive Media, Munger Tolles & Olson, Rankings
The Am Law A-List Isn't Kind to Laid Off Associates
American Lawyer has released its A-List for 2009. The rankings try to measure the qualities that make an elite law firm: This list, which we launched in 2003, aims to measure and quantify the qualities that define an elite law firm, making an effort to look beyond profits. We examine four factors: revenue per lawyer, […] -
SCOTUS, Sports
Sports And The Law: SCOTUS Grants Cert In American Needle v. NFL
Yesterday morning, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in the case American Needle v. National Football League (pdf, p.3) for purposes of determining whether the NFL clubs’ collective licensing of individual club trademarks is exempt from antitrust scrutiny under the single entity defense. The Supreme Court’s decision to hear this case was likely influenced by the […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 06.30.09
* Mission Accomplished? [CNN] * Doesn’t “Velvet Revolution” sound like a musical band, instead of a collection of angry lawyers administering vigilante justice? [The Blog of the Legal Times] * Mayoral control of New York City schools could end tonight if the New York State Senate doesn’t act. But hey, politicians acting like children can’t […]
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 06.29.09
* Maybe commenters should stop hiding behind anonymity? [What About Clients?] * In case you are wondering, I am not the only one pondering whether or not Bernie Madoff can make it in prison. [Dealbreaker] * Here’s a little free help from LexisNexis. This reminds me of the brilliant Scooner Tuna solution at the end […] -
Biglaw, Howrey LLP
Screening 'BigLaw Apprentice' at Law Firms
First years to 100K and an “apprenticeship”? In the past two months, we’ve reported on three firms instituting an apprenticeship model for first year associates: Drinker Biddle, Howrey, and Frost Brown Todd. “Apprentices” start at the firm at a lower salary and are not billed out to clients, billed out at a lower rate than […]
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Biglaw, Charlotte
Law Jobs in Charlotte! Kind Of!
Oh Charlotte. Oh Queen City. My how global economic crisis denuded your legal industry. Maybe it is time for a comeback? The Charlotte Observer reports that a legal services firm is poised to hire 100 Charlotte based attorneys: Unfortunately, we’re talking about document review attorneys: DiscoverReady, which analyzes e-mails and electronic documents for law firms […] -
Law School Deans, Law Schools
DePaul College of Law: Dean v. Provost Heats Up, ABA Stays Quiet
As we have previously reported, DePaul College of Law Dean, Glen Weissenberger was ousted after he sent a letter to the ABA as part of the school’s accreditation review. At first blush, it looked like a university politics fight between Dean Weissenberger and DePaul University Provost, Helmut Epp. But now it appears that the acrimony […] -
Deferral Stipend, Start Dates
Pillsbury Incoming Associates Still Waiting to Hear When They Can Start
Back in May, we reported that Pillsbury Winthrop wanted some of its incoming first year associates to defer until January 2010, some to defer until 2011, and others to take $60,000 to go away entirely. The firm couched all of these options as “voluntary.” But notwithstanding the firm’s choice of language, we reported that Pillsbury […] -
Bernie Madoff, Crime, Sentencing Law, Wall Street, White-Collar Crime
Breaking: Madoff Sentenced to 150 Years
Bernie Madoff has been sentenced to 150 years. Judge Denny Chin said that the sentence was necessary to deter other people from entering into these kinds of schemes. The Judge apparently said that he was struck that there was no letter written in support of Bernie Madoff. On the other hand, the judge received 141 […] -
SCOTUS, Sonia Sotomayor
Breaking: SCOTUS Rules In Favor of New Haven Firefighters
The U.S. Supreme Court decided Ricci v. DeStefano today. The breaking news coming off of the television is that the Court reversed the Second Circuit and ruled in favor of the New Haven firefighters. Judge Sonia Sotomayor was on that panel, so her reversal rate just went up. Here’s the opinion from the Court via […] -
Law Shucks, Layoffs
This Week in Layoffs: 06.29.09
[Ed. note: Above the Law has teamed up with Law Shucks. Law Shucks has done excellent work translating all of the layoff news into user-friendly charts and graphs: the Layoff Tracker.] Forgive us for sounding like a broken record. There are only so many ways to say the same thing about US unemployment: the rate […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 06.29.09
* Bernie Madoff will be sentenced today. Mmm … revenge justice. [Daily News] * There’s a “legacy of litigation” that will survive Michael Jackson. [National Law Journal] * The Coup d’état in Honduras is the first Central American coup since the end of the Cold War. [New York Times] * R.I.P., Billy Mays. [CNBC] * […]